Chapter 318
Madison
Mom raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
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“It means my daughter works too hard.” She tossed a piece of popcorn at me. “You’re allowed to have a personal life, you know.”
I caught the popcorn and popped it in my mouth. “Says the woman who used to work sixty–hour weeks.”
“And look where that got me,” she countered, gesturing to herself. “Don’t be like me, Madison.”
The sincerity in her voice made my chest tighten. “I’m not. I promise.”
She squeezed my hand. “Good. Now, let’s watch this ridiculous movie and forget about work for a while.”
The opening credits rolled, and I settled deeper into the couch, determined to focus on the film and not the Alexander–shaped hole in my evening.
The movie’s premise was eerily familiar: a hardworking assistant agrees to pose as her billionaire boss’s fiancée to help him secure a business deal. In return, he’ll fund her dream project.
“This is absurd,” I muttered as the lead actress practiced kissing techniques on her hand. “No one would ever agree to something like this.”
Mom snorted. “Please. People do crazier things for money all the time.”
If only she knew.
“Besides,” she continued, “he’s hot. I’d fake–marry him for free.”
“Mom!”
She cackled, delighted by my scandalized expression. “What? I’m old, not dead.”
I threw a handful of popcorn at her, and she retaliated by tossing a cushion at my head. Before I knew it, we were engaged in a full–blown pillow fight, laughing like I hadn’t in weeks.
“Truce!” Mom finally called, breathless from laughing. “I surrender!”
I collapsed back onto the couch, sides aching from laughter. “You started it.”
“And I’m ending it before you give your poor mother a heart attack.”
My smile faltered. “Don’t joke about that.”
She squeezed my hand. “Sorry, honey. Too soon?”
“Way too soon.”
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We settled back to watch the movie, the protagonist now falling for her fake fiancé despite her best intentions. The parallels to my situation were almost painful.
“See that?” Mom pointed at the screen where the couple was arguing. “That’s sexual tension. Those two are going to end up married for real.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s a rom–com, Mom. Of course they will.”
“Just like you and Alexander.”
“What?”
“The way he looks at you,” she said, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “That man is head over heels.” She patted my knee. “Trust your mother’s intuition.”
If only she knew the truth. That our relationship was a business transaction with an expiration date. That he was probably with Katherine right now, rekindling whatever they’d once had.
On screen, the fake couple was now kissing passionately after a heated argument.
“See?” Mom said triumphantly. “Told you.”
“It’s fiction, Mom.”
“Life imitates art, darling.”
As the movie continued, we fell into comfortable silence. The female lead was now confessing her real feelings
to her best friend, terrified that her boss would discover she’d fallen for him.
“Poor thing,” Mom murmured. “She’s in so deep and doesn’t even realize it.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “He’s using her.‘
“Is he?” Mom challenged. “Look at his face when she’s not watching. That’s not a man who’s just using
someone.”
I squinted at the screen. The actor did look genuinely besotted when his assistant wasn’t looking. But that was acting. Fiction. Not reality,
My reality was photos of Alexander with Katherine, his hand on the small of her back, her head tilted toward him in intimate conversation.
“You’re quiet,” Mom observed. “Hit too close to home?”
I forced a laugh. “It’s just a silly movie.”
“Mmm–hmm.” She didn’t sound convinced.
The movie reached its climax with the inevitable misunderstanding where the assistant believes her boss never cared for her, only to discover he has been in love with her all along.
“So predictable,” I muttered.
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“Sometimes predictable is good,” Mom replied. “Like knowing your daughter will work too hard and forget to eat unless someone reminds her.”
1 nudged her with my shoulder. “I eat.”
“Coffee isn’t food, Madison.”
“It is if you put enough sugar in it.”
She laughed, the sound warming something cold inside me. “You’re impossible.”
“I learned from the best.”
As the credits rolled, Mom stretched and yawned. “Well, that was delightfully ridiculous.”
I nodded, gathering our empty popcorn bowl. “Pure fantasy.”
“I don’t know,” she mused. “I think there’s always a grain of truth in these stories. People fall in love in the strangest circumstances.‘
I busied myself with cleaning up to avoid her perceptive gaze. “It’s late. You should get some rest.”
“Trying to get rid of me already?” She stood, wincing slightly as she straightened.
“Are you okay?” I was at her side instantly. “Is it your heart?”
She waved me off. “Just stiff from sitting too long. I’m fine, Madison. Stop hovering.”
“I’m not hovering. I’m being attentive.”
“You’re hovering.” She kissed my cheek. “But I love you for it.”
I watched her head to her bedroom, waiting until her door closed before slumping onto the couch. The apartment felt suddenly empty, the silence oppressive.
I pulled out my phone. Still nothing from Alexander.
Before I could overthink it, I opened our text thread. The last message was from yesterday, confirming our meeting time. Nothing about Katherine, nothing about cancelling dinner tonight, nothing about anything.
I typed out a message, deleted it, typed again, and deleted again. What was I supposed to say? “I saw you with your ex. Care to explain?” Or maybe “Is our arrangement still valid if you’re seeing Katherine?”
In the end, I put my phone away without sending anything. If Alexander wanted to talk, he knew where to find
- me.
I headed to my bedroom, the events of the day weighing on me like a physical burden. After my nightly routine, I slipped under the covers and stared at the ceiling, sleep eluding me despite my exhaustion.
Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw Alexander with Katherine, his hand on her back, her smile directed at him. The intimacy of it burned behind my eyelids.
My phone lay silent on my nightstand. No calls. No texts. Nothing.
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“Stop obsessing,” I muttered, punching my pillow into a more comfortable shape.
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But the thoughts wouldn’t stop. Had Alexander already moved on? Was I just a placeholder until Katherine returned? Had I fallen for a man who would never see me as anything more than a convenient arrangement?
I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillow. This wasn’t me. I didn’t obsess over men. I didn’t lose sleep over relationship drama. I was Madison Harper, practical, professional, focused. 1
And yet here I was, acting like a lovesick teenager because my fake boyfriend hadn’t texted me.
“Pathetic,” I whispered into the darkness.
I must have fallen asleep eventually, because the next thing I knew, my alarm was blaring. I fumbled for my phone, silencing it with a groan.
6:30 AM. No new messages.
I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the remnants of my restless night. As I lathered shampoo into my hair, I made a decision. I would confront Alexander today. No more guessing, no more wondering. I deserved answers.
Chapter 319
Chapter 319
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
